James Hetfield - Metallica

In the early '80s, heavy metal was in danger
of becoming a spandex-sporting/hairspray-soaked/makeup-smeared parody, but
bands like Metallica brought metal back to its original, straight-ahead
approach. With most other metal singers posing for the camera and singing
about sex, drugs, and rock roll, Metallica singer/guitarist James
Hetfield's approach was a much-welcomed break from the norm with his
tattered jeans and unkempt hair, while singing (well, shouting) about
serious subject matter and bashing out intense metal riffs on either his
Gibson Explorer or Flying V.

James Alan Hetfield was born in Downey, CA (a suburb of Los Angeles) on
August 3, 1963, as his family implied their religious Christian Science
values on him early on, which he would dismiss later on. Feeling isolated
from his high school classmates (and in the wake of his mother's death
when he was a teenager), Hetfield turned to playing guitar and the sounds
of '70s heavy metal: Black Sabbath, Thin Lizzy, Aerosmith, AC/DC, UFO, and
Blue Oyster Cult. His enlistment in a few garage bands followed (two being
Obsession and Leather Charm), yet didn't lead to much. But he would soon
find a kindred musical spirit from an ad in the local music paper placed
by a L.A.-by-way-of-Denmark drummer/metal fan, Lars Ulrich. Ulrich turned
Hetfield on to the sounds of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement
(Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Motorhead, Diamond Head, Venom, Saxon, Angel
Witch, etc.) and the two set out to form a similarly styled group together
that would be a reaction against all the glam metal bands that were
infiltrating Los Angeles. The result would be one of the most popular rock
bands of all-time, Metallica.

After relocating to San Francisco in early 1983, the band (which included
bassist Cliff Burton and guitarist Dave Mustaine) created quite a buzz in
the metal underground, leading to a subsequent record deal. Mustaine was
replaced by Kirk Hammett in time for the quartet's debut, "Kill 'Em All,"
as Hetfield created his own identifiable heavy and precise rhythm guitar
style (using almost all downstrokes with his picking hand and muting the
sixth string), a style that's been infinitely copied subsequently by other
metal/thrash bands. More classic albums followed ("Ride the Lightning,"
"Master of Puppets") before Metallica endured their greatest tragedy --
the death of Burton in late 1986. Undeterred, Hetfield and his bandmates
soldiered on with Jason Newsted taking Burton's place. The band's greatest
commercial success occurred with this lineup: 1988's "And Justice for All"
and 1991's self-titled release, during which Hetfield recreated his public
image from a skateboarder to a Ted Nugent-esque man's man. It also must be
said that Hetfield is probably one of the most accident-prone rock
musicians -- he's been sidelined several times during tours (with a roadie
stepping in to handle his guitar parts) from broken bones due to
skateboarding accidents in the '80s and from 2nd degree burns he suffered
from an on-stage pyro accident in 1992.

In addition to his Metallica duties, Hetfield has also found time to guest
on friend's albums, some uncredited (ex-Faith No More guitarist Jim
Martin's solo debut Milk and Blood and Corrosion of Conformity's Wiseblood),
while others credited (Primus' 1999 all-star affair Antipop). Hetfield and
Metallica continue to crank out best-selling albums and sold-out tours,
although it appeared as though the group may be entering an uncertain
phase of their career in early 2001, when a tell-all band interview in
Playboy Magazine (which saw Hetfield recall his troubled early family life
and new role as a husband/father, as well as criticizing his bandmates)
was quickly followed-up by Newsted's exit from Metallica.